History
Name
  • Volgo-Balt 189 (1975–1997)
  • Arvin (1997–2021)[1]
Owner
  • USSR/Russia (1975–1992)
  • White Sea & Onega Sg Co (1992–1997)
  • Delphin Maritime Co Ltd (1997–2009)
  • RE Sg & Trade Ltd (2009–2013)
  • Arvin Sg Ltd (2016–2021)
OperatorTesoro Marine LLC
Port of registry
  • USSR/Russia (1975–1992)
  • Malta (1992–2013)
  • Cambodia (2013–2016)
  • Malakai Harbor, Palau (2016–2021)
Completed1975
In service1975
Out of service2021
Identification
FateSank after breaking up in heavy seas on 15 January 2021
General characteristics
TypeGeneral cargo ship
Tonnage3509 t
Displacement4761 t
Length114 m (374 ft 0 in)
Beam13 m (42 ft 8 in)
Draught3.85 m (12 ft 8 in) (summer)
Installed power1,030 kW (1,380 hp)
PropulsionDiesel
Speed6.5 knots (12.0 km/h; 7.5 mph)
Capacity4,724 m3 (166,800 cu ft)
Crew12
Notes[1]

MV Arvin was a bulk cargo ship that broke in two and sank in heavy seas off the coast of Bartin, Turkey, in 2021. A video of the ship breaking apart was posted on YouTube.[2] Six of the 12 crew aboard died in the sinking.

History

Starting as the Volgo-Balt 189, the MV Arvin was originally built in 1974 in Czechoslovakia as a lake/river freighter. She was sold and reflagged several times through her life. She was named Arvin in 1997 by the Delphin Maritime Co. Ltd., the name she kept for the rest of her career.[1]

The Volgo-Balt class were lake/river freighters, meant to sail within generally calm water, and were not intended for the high seas. Nevertheless, many of them have seen use on and around the Black Sea. Several of these have sunk, including the Volgo-Balt 214, lost in 2019, killing six of 13 crew.[3] Two months after the Arvin sank, Volgo-Balt 179 sank in the Black Sea, with 10 of 13 crew surviving.[4]

In 2020, port officials in Georgia noted severe deck corrosion and poorly maintained weather hatches on the Arvin, suggesting that the ship should be scrapped.[5] Her owner kept her at sea, though. She was due for a major audit in April 2021.[6]

Sinking

On 2 January 2021, the ship left Poti, Georgia, headed for Burgas, Bulgaria. She carried approximately 2,900 tons of urea to be used as fertilizer. She sought shelter from adverse weather off the coast of Sinop, Turkiye, on 5 January 2021, where she remained for nine days. On the 14th, she again set sail, only to anchor at Bartın, Turkiye, the next day in anticipation of further adverse weather.[6]

On 17 January 2021, the weather worsened. Heavy seas of 2–3 meters (6 ft 7 in – 9 ft 10 in) with winds at force 5-6 (17–27 knots, 31–50 km/h, 20–31 mph) caused the vessel to pitch and roll. At approximately 11:00 am local time, the ship's master ordered the main engines started to provide additional control. At approximately 12:20 pm, the Arvin broke in two amidships. The master immediately radioed a distress call, and soon after triggered an alarm and sent a message over the intercom to abandon ship.

Ten of the twelve crew gathered on the poop deck, most donning immersion suits; the master and chief officer did not make it to the gathering. The vessel began to list to port, and the crew began to leave the vessel. The third officer, cook, oiler, third engineer, and a cadet made it into a life raft, while the chief engineer and second engineer jumped into the sea. According to crew interviews, several crew members who did not make the life raft held on to a piece of wood to stay afloat. Not all who made it into the raft or held on to the wood survived. The Turkish Coast Guard rescued six and recovered either three or four bodies (reports vary). The remaining two or three bodies were never found.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "ARVIN, General Cargo Ship - Details and current position - IMO 8874316 - VesselFinder". www.vesselfinder.com. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  2. MV Arvin Moment of breaking of the ship (Video) #shipwrecks #Ship_Accident, 17 January 2021, retrieved 27 July 2023
  3. "Video: Six Dead After Soviet-Era Freighter Sinks in Black Sea". The Maritime Executive. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  4. ERR, BNS | (11 March 2021). "Estonian-owned cargo vessel sinks in Black Sea, at least two dead". ERR. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  5. "Questions raised over carrier sinking within sight of land and two". Freight News. 5 February 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  6. 1 2 "ARVIN MMC Casualty Investigation Report" (PDF). www.palaureg.com. 1 March 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 December 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
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